Inductive power transfer to electrically chargeable vehicles at power levels of several kilowatts in both domestic and public parking zones may require special protective measures for safety of persons and equipment in proximity. Such measures may include detection of moving objects in the critical space of an inductive power transfer system. This may be particularly true for systems where the critical space (where electromagnetic field levels exceed certain critical levels) is open and accessible. Such measures may also include detection of living objects (e.g., humans, extremities of humans, or animals) to protect them from exposure to such strong electromagnetic fields.
However, conventional radar processing methods first down-convert RF signals to an IF frequency to obtain the complex radar signal in an analog domain, and then sample received radar signals at IF frequencies. Digital signal processing is applied to detect the target range, speed and moving direction. However this structure is complex and suffers from various analog impairments. Some radars sample the received radar signals at RF frequencies before down conversion, however, obtaining only the real component of the received radar signals. Therefore, such radar processing methods may determine only range or speed but not direction of detected objects. As such, methods and apparatuses utilizing digital signal processing of ultra wide band (UWB) radar signals for living object detection in wireless power transfer applications are desirable.